JD(U) suddenly remembers coalition dharma

Bihar BJP has declared that it is ready to contest all the seats in Bihar, if need be. Also that it plans to invite Narendra Modi to Patna for its Hunkar rally in March. After needling BJP, it suddenly feels a biggish stab and is crying for coalition dharma.Wonder where was dharma when Nitish was showering personal abuses on Modi.

A day after Bihar BJP chief CP Thakur said nobody could stop Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi from joining top party leaders at the BJP rally in Patna next year, the JD(U) warned its alliance partner not to cross the limits of the coalition dharma.

â€œIt (inviting Modi) is an internal matter of the BJP. The JD(U) has nothing to do with it. But both allies should adhere to the guiding principles of the coalition. Any attempt to deviate from them will be detrimental to the alliance,â€ Bihar JD(U) chief Bashishtha Narayan Singh told Hindustan Times on Saturday.

State BJP president CP Thakur had raised the hackles of JD(U) leaders by saying on Friday that Modi would certainly be invited to address the party's â€˜hunkarâ€™ rally in Patna on April 15.

He also said the BJP would prepare to contest all 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar so that it is not taken by surprise â€œif the scenario changes suddenlyâ€.

â€œOur ideological differences are well known. But we have been working together for long on certain principles and successfully running the government in Bihar based on a common minimum programme. Senior party leaders should broadly adhere to the coalition dharma,â€ Singh said.

The JD(U) has made it amply clear that it would not welcome Modiâ€™s presence at political functions and rallies in Bihar.

At a time when a section of the BJP wants to project Modi as the NDAâ€™s prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav said here on Friday that veteran leader LK Advani should be the allianceâ€™s PM candidate.

Inviting anyone for its rallies is internal affair of a party. Why is JD(U) suddenly jittrery? This is a gauntlet from BJP in response to daily threats of JDU about walking out of NDA. Now it has a good CAUSE to do so.